Tired of bundling up and shoveling snow? If so, I suggest a quick trip to Ecuador for a little relief from it all. The weather is perfect, the prices are beyond belief, and the scenery is magnificent, especially in the southern region. 
Carl and I joined Andy for a week this past November and had a great time. We visited his site in San Pedro which is a sleepy little community located near the main tourist town of Vilcabamba.
After a couple of days of exploring this area and visiting Andy's projects (Women's Cooperative and Coffee Growers Association), we headed towards Loja and then to Cuenca. Our trip concluded in Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador.
Of the places we visited, I personally enjoyed Andrew's location the best. We flew from Guayaquil to Loja - the approach to the airport is worth the trip. Looking out the window, the Andes Mountains are on your left and you suddenly bank to the right for a quick landing on the airstrip. Magnificent! As Andrew has mentioned in his previous blogs, this area is known as the Valley of Longevity . We tried to drink up as much water as we could to test the premise. I should add that the land is being bought up by Americans and Europeans which is rather sad, but many know a good thing when they see it. The rolling hillsides are lush, good for hiking or just viewing - one afternoon we were at a lovely hostel having lunch on the porch that overlooked the valley. I think I could have spent the entire week at this one location. 
While there Carl and I were introduced to many new experiences...we ate guinea pig at the home of his host family, visited a sugar cane processing center, awoke every morning to the noises of barnyard animals (donkeys braying, roosters crowing, and dogs barking), walked through some Incan ruins, shopped at an outdoor market where everything and anything was being sold...hardware, toilet paper, candy, and of course vegetables. We tried different foods and drink and discovered that we really enjoyed Ecuadorian soups and juices . They don't seem to be big on sweets or salty food, BUT they do have popcorn...however, they put it in the soup!
A couple of things struck us as funny. One day we came out of Andy's little house and we saw a burro walking down the side of the road. We looked for a farmer but there was none. Apparently, these animals know how to get back and forth from the sugar cane fields without anyone tending to them. Along this same line, we were riding on the highway when we came upon a sight we haven't seen around here. In front us was a very small pickup truck loaded down with one huge cow tethered to the sides of the truck with a couple of ropes. We were grateful that the cow (and everything else) stayed in the truck!
Andy is planning on being in Ecuador for a couple more months. If you want a good tour guide, we suggest you contact him soon. His plan is to return to the states by late March or early April. It will be wonderful to have him back home, but having been to Ecuador we can better understand why he will want to return.
Carl and I joined Andy for a week this past November and had a great time. We visited his site in San Pedro which is a sleepy little community located near the main tourist town of Vilcabamba.After a couple of days of exploring this area and visiting Andy's projects (Women's Cooperative and Coffee Growers Association), we headed towards Loja and then to Cuenca. Our trip concluded in Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador.
Of the places we visited, I personally enjoyed Andrew's location the best. We flew from Guayaquil to Loja - the approach to the airport is worth the trip. Looking out the window, the Andes Mountains are on your left and you suddenly bank to the right for a quick landing on the airstrip. Magnificent! As Andrew has mentioned in his previous blogs, this area is known as the Valley of Longevity . We tried to drink up as much water as we could to test the premise. I should add that the land is being bought up by Americans and Europeans which is rather sad, but many know a good thing when they see it. The rolling hillsides are lush, good for hiking or just viewing - one afternoon we were at a lovely hostel having lunch on the porch that overlooked the valley. I think I could have spent the entire week at this one location. While there Carl and I were introduced to many new experiences...we ate guinea pig at the home of his host family, visited a sugar cane processing center, awoke every morning to the noises of barnyard animals (donkeys braying, roosters crowing, and dogs barking), walked through some Incan ruins, shopped at an outdoor market where everything and anything was being sold...hardware, toilet paper, candy, and of course vegetables. We tried different foods and drink and discovered that we really enjoyed Ecuadorian soups and juices . They don't seem to be big on sweets or salty food, BUT they do have popcorn...however, they put it in the soup!
A couple of things struck us as funny. One day we came out of Andy's little house and we saw a burro walking down the side of the road. We looked for a farmer but there was none. Apparently, these animals know how to get back and forth from the sugar cane fields without anyone tending to them. Along this same line, we were riding on the highway when we came upon a sight we haven't seen around here. In front us was a very small pickup truck loaded down with one huge cow tethered to the sides of the truck with a couple of ropes. We were grateful that the cow (and everything else) stayed in the truck!
Andy is planning on being in Ecuador for a couple more months. If you want a good tour guide, we suggest you contact him soon. His plan is to return to the states by late March or early April. It will be wonderful to have him back home, but having been to Ecuador we can better understand why he will want to return.
